Mechanical movement



Aug. 31, 1926. 1,598,553

R. S. BUTLER MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed Nov. 23, 1923 2 Sheng-sheet 1 i l o f7 rZT .2 /T7 5 ifj.

R. S. BUTLER MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed Nov. 23,1923 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE. l

ROBERT S. BUTLER, OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES B. ROGERS, OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

Application led November 2'3, 1923. Serial No. 676,639.

This invention relates to 'mechanical movements, and more particularly to gears for oil well pumps and the like.

Oil wells in some fields yield a large pro- 5 duction of water, sometimes as much as 90 per cent of the fluid pumped is water and the balance oil. Wrhen a well is being pumped slowly, the percentage of water increases. When pumping is speeded up, not

l only is more fluid taken from the well but the percentage of water is correspondingly reduced. Vhen a well has not been pumped for even as short a period as one day, on starting up, the fluid may be entirely water ,l which must be pumped off before any oil is obtained. It is, therefore, desirable in the art to pump steadily and to pump at as fast a rate as the pumping mechanism will stand, so that the amount of oil for each gallon of fluid pumped will be as large as possible. Another import-ant reason for desiring to increase the capacity of any pumping equipment quite apart fromthe presence of water, is the demand for production.

Every well owner desires to obtain as much oil as possible in the shortest possible time.

This applies to wells that are not in a water field in addition to those in which water is present with the oil.

For the above reasons, there have been many attempts to increase the effectiveness of the present pumping equipment. The method of pumping now used practically universally consists in the use of a24 foot Wooden walking beam, to one end of which is attached the sucker rod which is given an up and down reciprocating motion in the pump tubing. The other end of the beam carries a pitman rod, which is slipped over a crank pin, which translates the revolving motion of the crank to a reciprocating motion of the walking beam.

The pumping speed that can be attained with this type of drive is limited for tvvo reasons. For mechanical reasons the length of the stroke of the crank and Walking beam cannot exceed a predetermined limit and the maximum number of strokes per minute is limited by the inertia and frictional resistance of the sucker rods. Regardless of the length of stroke, a speed of over 2O strokes per minute will cause such frequent breakage of the sucker rods as to make it inexpedient to employ such speed.

' In the present invention, I provide a type 55 of gearing suitable for any use wherein rotating motion is to be translated into reciprocating motion but particularly useful for driving oil well pumps. In this invention, I employ a rectilinear oear having 6.0 teeth formed on its opposite faces, which gear is connected to the walking beam and is adapted to be reciprocated by suitable gearing connected to the crank shaft. The drive gearing meshing with the rectilinear gear is preferably mounted on a stirrup, which permits it to swing about the center of the crank shaft as a radius and thus properly position itself on opposite sides of the rectilinear gear at the end of each stroke.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In

this showing:

Figure l is a front elevation,

Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Figure 3 is a rear elevation,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View on line 4 4 of Figure l,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view on line 6 6 of. Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a' perspective view of the stirrup, and,

Figure 8 is a Idetailed disassembled View of S5 the parts of the gearing.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral l designates the crank shaft or drive shaft. The crank usually employed in oilwell drives is removed and a hub 2 is 90 secured to the shaft to revolve therewith by means of a key 3, the key being received in alined grooves in the hub and shaft. A drive gear 4 is secured to the hub by means of bolts 5. This gear is provided with a ,95 projecting hub 6 and the hub isprovided With a bore adapted to receive a shaft 7, the inner end of vwhich abuts the end of the drive shaft. A stirrup 8 is provided with an opening 9, adapted to receive the hub 100 of the drive gear and the hub is slipped into this stirrup, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, The stirrup is further provided with a large opening 10, adapted to receive a traveller gear 11. As shown, the traveler gear is provided intermediate its ends with a. turned portion 12, adapted to be received in the opening 10. One end of the traveller gear is provided with a pinion 13 of smaller diameter than the turned portion of the gear, which permits the gear to be slipped through the stirrup. lhc pinion 13 meshes with the drive gear 4, as shown. '.ihe opposite end of the traveller gear is provided with a main gear 14 and beyond the main gear, the traveller gear is reduced, foi-ming a shoulder 15, adapted to receive a small roller 16.

The rectilinear gear consists of an elongated member having teeth 17 arranged on opposite sides and substantially parallel to each other. rlhe body of the gear is provided with a central slot 18 and the ends of this slot are curved, as at 19, on radius of the shaft 7. The outer face of the ends of the rectilinear gear are provided with teeth 20, curved on a radius from the same center as the inner face 18. The main gear 14 is adapted to mesh with the teeth -17 and ZO of the rectilinear gear. inwardly of the teeth, the sides of the rectilinear gear are provided with plain surfaces 21 upon which the roller 16 is adapted to engage. rlhe shaft 7 extends through the slot 18, as shown, and is provided with a reduced threaded end ortion 22, adaptedV to receive a guide block 23. The guide block is retained on the end of the shaft by means of a nut 24. As shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the guide lock is adapted to engage raised faces 25, on the rear of the rectilinear gear. The rectilinear gear is provided with an extension 26, the upper end of which is curved, as shown at 27 and adapted to receive the lower end of a pitman 2S or connectingrod, the upper end of which is secured to the walking beam in any suitable manner.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The shaft 1 is driven at a desiredV speed from any suitable source of power and this drives the gear 4. The gear 4 meshes with the pinion 13, driving the traveller gear, which rotates in the stirrup S. The gear 14 meshes with the teeth of the rectilinear gear and thus drives the rectilinear gear, the relative motion of the two gears being such that the traveller gear moves up one side of the rectilinear gear over the top, then down the other side. This causes reciprocation of the rectilinear gear which is transmitted to the walking beam. An important feature of the invention is the provision of means for transferring the traveller gear or drive member from one side of the rectilinear gear to the other at the end of each stroke. Heretofore, devices of this character, have not been provided with means for relative lateral movement of the two members and a slap results at the end of each stroke. During the movement of the rotat-v ing gear from one side of the reciprocating gear to the other, no power is applied to the work to be done and unless some means are provided for changing the relative position of the two members, the rotating gear jumps from one position to the other. The rotatingV gear is free at all times to swing about the center of shafts 1 and 7 as an axis but is restrained from doing so when the teeth are in mesh with the teeth 17 on the sides of the rectilinear gear. At the end of the stroke, the traveller gear swings around the center of shaft 7 as an axis, as indicated by the arrows in Figures 1 and 5 of the drawings, the teeth of the gear 14 meshing with the curved teeth 20 during this movement to actuate the traveller gear. During the reciprocation of the rectilinear gear, the shaft 7 is normally out of engagement with the walls of the slot 18, but at the end of each stroke, the shaft engages the curved portion 19, forming a guide and stop for the tnveller gear as it winds itself around the end of the rectilinear gear. rI`he inner face of the guide block 23 engages the raised face 25 on the rear of thel rectilinear gear retaining the parts in alinement, and the roller 16 engages the plane faces 21 to guide the parts and reduce friction.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shownr andl described is to be taken as a preferred' example of the same, andl that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a mechanical movement, al drive shaft, a pinion mounted on said shaft, a stirrup having an opening for the reception of said drive shaft and being providedl with a second opening, a cylindrical member mounted in said second opening, a gear formed on one end of said member and meshing with said pinion, a gear formed on the opposite end' of said member, a rectilinear gear comprising a member of substantial length having teeth formed on opposite sides and teeth formed on its ends curved on an arc of a circle, said second gear being adapted to mesh with said teeth, saidv member being provided with a longitudinal slot, a shaft carried by said pinion in alinement with said drive shaft and passing through said slot, and a guideblock mounted on said shaft and engaging the rear face of said member.

2. In a mechanical movement, a shaft, a pinion mounted on said shaft, a stirrup loosely mounted on said shaft, a gear carried by said stirrup and meshing with said pinion, a second gear caried by said stirrup and connected with said first gear to rotate therewith, a rectilinear gear comprising a member of substantial length having teeth formed on opposite sides and teeth formed on its ends curved on an arc of a circle, said second gear being adapted to mesh With said guide block mounted on said 10 

